{"id":2254,"date":"2015-12-07T16:12:50","date_gmt":"2015-12-07T21:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/kiton-the-best-of-the-best-1\/"},"modified":"2015-12-07T16:32:41","modified_gmt":"2015-12-07T21:32:41","slug":"kiton-the-best-of-the-best-1","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/kiton-the-best-of-the-best-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Kiton: The Best of the Best +1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Business Model<\/u><\/p>\n

The Kiton website says their philosophy is simple: work hard to achieve perfection, and if you can\u2019t, start over again.<\/p>\n

This epitomizes the company\u2019s business model, which is built on the concept of providing the absolute highest quality product with a personalized experience, enabling customers to showcase their personal style. The motto of the company is \u201cThe Best of the Best +1\u201d and the name Kiton is actually a play on the word \u201cchitone,\u201d which was a special garment worn by Greek aristocrats, and was \u201ca symbol of classicism, quality, and social distinction.<\/p>\n

Operating Model<\/u><\/p>\n

\"Kiton\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\"Kiton<\/a><\/p>\n

Quality thru sourcing and production<\/em><\/p>\n

Kiton believes that quality begins before the suit is ever cut and sewn. It begins with the sourcing of the raw materials, which is why they go to such great length to acquire the best fiber in the world.<\/p>\n

One example is the cashmere used in Kiton\u2019s suits, pants, and sweaters. For goat hair to be considered chasmere, it must be 19 microns, or less, in thickness, and come from the belly of a specific goat. Cashmere\u2019s quality is based on the uniformity, cleanliness, and length of the fibers harvested. Kiton only sources their cashmere from Scotland and England at specific farms, and only from baby Mongolian goats. Additionally, they only use cashmere fibers 14 microns or thinner, which is considered to be at the highest end of quality.<\/p>\n

Once the fiber is acquired, it put be weaved at textile mills into cloth. Kiton purchased its own textile mill, the Carlo Barbera mill, in order to vertically integrate their operations and ensure that their standard for quality was met throughout the entire process of production. Once the bolts of fabric are made, with the patterns prescribed by the creative designers at Kiton, they are then sent to the factory to be turned into clothes.<\/p>\n